By MICHAEL STRAND

Salina Journal

They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, but there is expected to be plenty of roaring as the month winds down.

Snow flurries started late Thursday afternoon in northwest Kansas, but "the real action will be later," said Greg Guillot, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Goodland.

By "real action," he means several inches of snow -- possibly a foot or more -- piling up today in some parts of western Kansas, along with high winds.

In other words, a March blizzard.

Much of western Kansas, from Hill City to Medicine Lodge, was already under a blizzard warning Thursday afternoon, with Salina and most of the rest of the state under a winter weather watch.

Emergency dispatchers in Sherman and Thomas counties said snow started falling about 6 p.m. -- but it was light snow, and the wind wasn't blowing hard.

Guillot said the heavy snow was expected to start in the early morning hours today, and that Goodland is expected to end up with six to nine inches of snow, with larger amounts farther south; Tribune, for example, is expected to get about 12 inches, and parts of southwest Kansas could see around 16 inches.

The snow is expected to be pushed around by sustained winds as high as 40 mph, with gusts even higher, he said.

"Whiteout conditions are likely on Interstate Highway 70 and other highways," Guillot said. "If I were a betting person, I'd bet that at some point I-70 will be shut down."

The snow is expected to be lighter farther north, Guillot said, with McCook, Neb., getting about an inch.

"I-70 will be kind of the dividing line," he said. "Most areas south of I-70 will see six inches or so."

Though the moisture is badly needed in many parts of western Kansas, Guillot said the snow might cause some short-term problems.

"The up-front concern will be to feed the cattle," he said.

The storm is expected to start with rain today in the Salina area, changing over to snow tonight and Saturday. There is the potential for six inches of snow in Salina, according to the National Weather Service office in Topeka. Again, the snow will be heavier farther south, with parts of south-central Kansas getting as much as 15 inches.

"The numbers say March is often our snowiest month," Guillot said. "This is unusual, yes, but not unprecedented."

n Reporter Mike Strand can be reached at 822-1418 or by e-mail at mstrand@salina.com.

Join the Discussion:

Salina.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here. Read our full online terms of service policy.

Post a comment
Your best chance of getting your comment posted:

• No profanity
• Be civil
• Everyone is innocent until proven guilty.

Comment:

Poster:

Enter text seen above:

Read our full use policy.